uncivil

/ʌnˈsɪv.əl/

//ʌnˈsɪv.əl// adj

"uncivil" is a 7-letter English headword indexed on PlainSpell.

The verdict

“uncivil” is uncommon English (frequency #68,717 among 1,433 “U” headwords), classed as an adjective. The kind of spelling people second-guess.

#68,717
frequency rank, English
1,433
“U” headwords

According to Wiktionary data (CC BY-SA, analyzed September 3, 2026) - Not civilized

Corpus desk

Index EN-uncivil · uncivil · English

uncivil · rank #68,717 · 0 variants · 0 confusables

  • FREQ-RARE #68,717
  • LEN-LONG 7 letters
  • VOW-3 3 vowels
  • CONFUS-0 No pairs
  • VAR-0 0 variants
  • BOOK-MID 1,433
  • PHOTO-FINISH ume

Nearest frequency peer: ume (-1 rank slots)

Read with this headword: Spelling guide for this pattern

Desk codes from Wiktionary headword shape, FrequencyWords rank tier, confusable-pair count, generated misspelling depth, letter-cohort book size, and photo-finish peer. Not a difficulty grade.

Long-tail ranks near “uncivil”

Sparse band: bars invert rank so rarer forms read shorter

corpus weight

What this shows Long-tail view: where “uncivil” sits against similarly uncommon English ranks.

Source FrequencyWords open word-frequency list As of September 3, 2026
Key facts for uncivil
PropertyValue
Headworduncivil
LanguageEnglish
Part of speechAdjective
IPA/ʌnˈsɪv.əl/
Letters7
Frequency rank#68,717
Misspellings tracked0
Confusable pairs0
SourceWiktionary (kaikki.org)

Long-tail rank of “uncivil” in English

Every-word frequency runs from the handful of words we use constantly (left) to the long tail used once in a blue moon (right).uncivilfalls in this rarity band:

#1#100#1K#10K#100K
← used constantlyrarely used →

Ticks step logarithmically, so each one marks a roughly tenfold drop in how often the word turns up. Rare peers in the same band: “ume” (#68,716), “underlay” (#68,718), “umbilicus” (#68,715). Among 1,433 “U” headwords, “uncivil” is #68,717. Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list.

Rare enough to double-check

uncivil is uncommon English at frequency #68,717 among 1,433 “U” headwords, classed as anadjective, transcribed /ʌnˈsɪv.əl/. Rarity is why readers land here mid-draft. 2 senses are on record.

The misspelling generator found no plausible variants for uncivil, and the word's spelling is regular enough that our generator found nothing worth flagging. This entry stands alone in our confusable dataset, since no other headword is close enough in sound or shape to pair with it.

Etymologically, the entry records: From un- + civil. The correct English form is uncivil, spelled U-N-C-I-V-I-L.

Definition

  1. 1
    Not civilized
  2. 2
    Not civil; discourteous; impolite

Recorded use

Wiktionary examples

These source excerpts show how uncivil appears in context. They illustrate usage; the definition above remains the entry’s reference meaning.

  1. uncivil behavior
  2. John Terry and Frank Lampard would not have reacted as the Nigerian did to the (admittedly X-rated) challenge that led to the Liverpool forward being sent off in last week’s Carling Cup quarter-final against Chelsea. All very dangerous, all very uncivil.

Etymology

From un- + civil.

Definitions, pronunciation, and etymology for this entry are drawn from Wiktionary via the kaikki.org structured extract (CC BY-SA); frequency ordering uses the FrequencyWords open word-frequency list (2018 English corpus, MIT). See the methodology for how each field is sourced and updated.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do you spell "uncivil"?
"uncivil" is spelled U-N-C-I-V-I-L. The IPA pronunciation is /ʌnˈsɪv.əl/.
What does "uncivil" mean?
As an adjective, "uncivil" means: Not civilized
How do you pronounce "uncivil"?
The IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) transcription for "uncivil" is /ʌnˈsɪv.əl/. Click the speaker icon on the pronunciation badge above to hear it spoken aloud where audio is available.
What is the origin of the word "uncivil"?
From un- + civil. See the full etymology section above for more details.
Is PlainSpell free to use?
Yes, PlainSpell is a completely free word reference. You can look up definitions, pronunciations, confusable pairs, homophones, and spelling corrections across 5 languages without any sign-up or subscription.

Similar English words by spelling shape

Same letter count and similar misspelling depth for "uncivil", not the corpus desk frequency band.

Same letter count

Frequency-ranked English headwords with 7 letters (nearest by frequency rank).

Source: Wiktionary (via kaikki.org) Structured Wiktionary extract

Source: FrequencyWords open word-frequency list